Levies constable killed guarding polio team in Swat attack

A Levies constable was killed in Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him while he was protecting a polio vaccination team. The incident occurred a day after the nationwide polio eradication campaign began, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. The constable was guarding the team outside a house where two female health workers were administering vaccines.

Swat’s District Police Officer Muhammad Umar Khan confirmed that the attackers fled the scene, and a search operation is underway. He emphasized that those responsible would be held accountable. Polio workers have frequently been targeted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with several killed and injured in recent years.

Polio eradication efforts in Pakistan face ongoing challenges, including security risks, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic. The National Institute of Health recently reported 29 polio cases in Pakistan for 2025.